Some heroes are so celebrated, they become iconic. Whether it’s their personality, their mysterious nature, or their flaws, many game protagonists over the years have created a lasting impression on gamers. The Splinter Cell series’ Sam Fisher could definitely claim such a title, as fans have grown fond of Michael Ironside’s deep and world-weary voice that has given life to the character.

Richard Dansky, who has been the primary writer of the series since it’s inception, spoke to Ubisoft about Fisher’s motivations and portrayl in the upcoming Splinter Cell: Blacklist. Here’s what he had to say:

When you have a character who’s as iconic as Sam is, who stands for something—the experienced spy, the agent who has been there, seen it, done these things—what’s important are those qualities rather than the actual specifics. If you stick a date and hang little specifics in there that become things that distract you from those core iconic qualities, then you’re doing yourself a disservice and you’re doing the character a disservice.

What’s important is who Sam is, what he is, and that’s the timeless nature he has as the experienced guy, who has been there, and done that, and done it better than anyone else. A lot of it his professionalism. There’s no bravado to him. He’s not there to be macho. He is there to do the job in the service of his morality, and in the service of what he thinks is right, and to do it better than anyone else can.

He is the one man who can get in there and act decisively and his actions can have consequences—can literally move mountains, can change the world—and he is the only one who can be there at that time, at that place, and do it. There’s a recognition that this is what he does. This is what he was born to do. He is not the sort of guy who can retire quietly. He has these skills. He has these talents. It is what he is and what he does. The challenge of the Blacklist is what forces him to rise to the occasion and take on new responsibilities and new threats that are in many ways greater than anything he’s faced before.

Splinter Cell: Blacklist will sneak up to retailers in early 2013 for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. Make sure to follow OnlySP for more motivational news.

Now an occasional contributer, Michael Urban is the former Editor-in-Chief at OnlySP and has the nickname "Breadcrab" for reasons his therapist still doesn't understand. From the moment he first got hacked in Runescape, he's been uninterested in multiplayer games and has pursued the beauty of the single-player experience, especially in terms of story and creative design.
His hobbies include reading, writing, singing in the shower, pretending to be productive, and providing info and feedback regarding the games industry. It is an industry, right? You can ask him a question or send him spam at michaelurban@onlysp.escapistmagazine.com. Also, follow him on Twitter or the terrorists win. (@MichaelUrban1)